Klopp: Liverpool couldn't deal with United's physical approach

Jose Mourinho thinks Liverpool fans had been expecting an easier night as Manchester United held them to a 0-0 draw.

"Last season United won here, Liverpool had 14 shots on target and United had one", he said.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho during match against Liverpool at Anfield on October 17, 2016.

Klopp's side had scored nine goals in their last two home league matches and have hit 28 goals in nine games in all competitions this season.

But having thwarted Liverpool's ambitions of registering a sixth successive win, Mourinho hailed his side's performance.

Coming off a 1-all draw with Stoke City, even a win for sixth-placed Manchester United might not be enough for them to break into the top four.

"I think we've got a fantastic squad, that is ready and capable of challenging". "No-one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better".

"We get a point".

The three-time EPL title-winning manager substantiated his claims of Klopp being defensive by stating that Liverpool playing with two holding midfielders was made out of fear of Man United's threat from counter attacks. Asked if the current situation was the biggest challenge of his career to date, he replied: "No, I think it's football - I've started through all my career and this is a new challenge, it's a new period".

The game from the first second was very hectic and maybe that was what Manchester United wanted and we didn't want, maybe it was more for their advantage.

He added: "I think the game was a good game, a hard game at the same time".

United now turn their attention to the Europa League with a match at Old Trafford against Fenerbahce on Thursday before travelling to Chelsea on Sunday in the Premier League. Zlatan Ibrahimovic left the field at halftime wagging his finger at Taylor, with the only two bookings falling to United players - Eric Bailly and Ashley Young (for dissent). "That's good, but we can do much better".

Klopp, though, talked of "mixed feelings", admitting it had been a poor spectacle.

Klopp's preference for a high-tempo game, which this season has started to click into gear, never got into its stride and it was a disjointed performance as the visitors' game-plan worked to perfection.